Re: One Rare but Two Rare beautys
And of course on our evening news there was a video of a white tail buck that is albino
Albino deer talk of the town
Grand Isle, Vermont - November 4, 2010
An albino moose shot in the Northeast Kingdom last month garnered a lot of attention, and now a deer in the Champlain Islands is doing the same.
Grand Isle is typical small town Vermont. There aren't many homes or people and everybody knows everybody. And when someone new moves to town -- well, let's just say he tends to stand out like a sore thumb. "He's pretty well known. He's a celebrity, he is, Yep," said local resident Cathy Dubuque, referring to Edgert, the town's albino deer. " He goes by a couple of different names," Dubuque added.
Neighbors think the white deer was born this past June. He does have a few brown spots, which means he is not a true albino. But regardless -- there aren't many deer like him in Vermont -- 0nly one in about every 30-thousand deer is a true albino. "It's just gorgeous. How could you not want to look at that?" Dubuque said.
Not only has the deer become the talk of the town, it's also become the talk of the school, where it's now a part of the science curriculum. Joe Sacca teaches ecology and genetics at Grand Isle Middle School and he says the deer is the third albino he's heard of on the islands in his 22 years as a teacher. "They're probably more isolated than other areas of the state, so it very well could be if there's not exchange with genes from New York or the Vermont mainland, that over the years the population is becoming more similar," he said.
Area residents say the deer is something special, which is why they're worried about the young buck's future. Albino's can be hunted, although young bucks that have less than two points cannot. But in this case, it's difficult to tell the deer is even a buck. Some residents say there's no sport in killing an animal that is white or any other color, and that's why they are keeping their fingers crossed during the upcoming hunting season just around the corner.
This coming weekend is Vermont Youth Deer Hunting Weekend and any deer can be shot -- regardless of the number of antlers.
Keagan Harsha - WCAX News
